Download or read book Church on the Edge of Somewhere written by George B. Thompson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2007-11-19 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most congregations today exist in what George Thompson calls the "middle of anywhere." They live comfortably with their surrounding culture, focusing their energies on serving the needs of their current members. These congregations have many strengths and gifts that they can exercise without changing a thing. But Thompson envisions a deeper, more prophetic call for congregations to explore the meaning of being in the world but not of it--a church on the "edge of somewhere." Thompson sees a church that is deeply engaged in ministering to the community while calling on others to commit to doing the same. By analyzing the interaction between a congregation's focus of identity and their stance with the world, Thompson has created a helpful grid for congregations to place themselves on today's cultural map. A congregation that sees itself as existing on the margins of society will look different than one that sees itself as embedded in society. A congregation that hears a call to serve the surrounding community will look different from one that focuses on its internal needs. Knowing where they stand now is the key for congregations to discover where they must go in the future to fully live out their call to be God's people in the world.
Download or read book Church of the Wild written by Victoria Loorz and published by Broadleaf Books . This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" CategoryWinner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.
Download or read book Discipleship on the Edge written by Darrell W. Johnson and published by Regent College Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revelation is probably the most read, but least understood book of the Bible. History is replete with examples of how not to interpret it, and books featuring end-of-world prophecy claims based on Revelation consistently top the bestseller lists. But how can the message of such an enigmatic book be applied to our lives today? In Discipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson drives home the challenging and practical message of Revelation in thirty carefully crafted sermons. Paying careful attention to the original context of Revelation and the circumstances surrounding its composition, Johnson shows that the book is not a "crystal ball" but rather a "discipleship manual." Thoroughly researched and yet accessible, this collection of sermons is a helpful resource for pastors and small group leaders who are looking for models to help them preach and teach the message of Revelation in a time when there is much confusion about the end times. Darrell W. Johnson serves as Scholar-in-Residence at The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A popular conference and retreat speaker, he has also served as the preaching pastor for a number of congregations in North America and the Philippines, as well as serving as Adjunct Professor of Preaching for the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. His other books include Experiencing the Trinity and Fifty-Seven Words That Change The World.
Download or read book The Greening of the Church written by Findley Bartow Edge and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Resurrecting Church written by John Cleghorn and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2021-03-02 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Resurrecting Church interweaves three strands. First, it is the remarkable turnaround story of Caldwell Presbyterian Church, which was on the edge of extinction when author John Cleghorn filled the role of pastor. Second, Cleghorn tells the story of his own growth and liberation from the myopia of privilege. Cleghorn traded his position as senior vice president of the nation's largest bank for ministry and the dusty and dated church office at Caldwell Presbyterian. The third strand includes the stories of several diverse congregations researched by the author. These congregations are examples of faith communities that have taken risks, deepening empathy and seeking justice. Through these stories, the book updates the "same old" conversation about church vitality in timely and surprising ways. Cleghorn raises these important questions: Can churches survive, even be resurrected, at the intersections of race, sexuality, class, and faith background? Can congregations be liberated by rebuilding around those on the margins who have been wounded by church? As more US cities become majority-minority, the "mainline" church remains stubbornly white and homogeneous. Church leaders and thinkers are seeking ways to build more racial diversity and radical welcome. This book provides hope and practical examples of how this can happen. Cleghorn declares, "God is doing what Isaiah calls 'a new thing'" in congregations where multiple types of diversity intersect, erecting spiritual hospitals for the wounded and marginalized. For the church, these intersections provide both a current lens of self-examination and avenues to growth in faith. With stories, people profiles, and insights from their leaders and members, this book breaks new ground with practical learning and lessons drawn from original research and the lived experience of intersectional churches across the US.
Download or read book One Foot Planted in the Center the Other Dangling Off the Edge written by Gordon R. Dragt and published by American Book Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leadership is intentional. It is a calling. It takes a survivor. One Foot Planted in the Center, the Other Dangling off the Edge tells the story of how one man with a vision turned a New York City church with a history of failure into a mecca of the arts, diversity, and celebration. Using humor and practical suggestions, Reverend Gordon Dragt guides and inspires others to overcome leadership challenges and utilize every resource in bringing new life to their organization. This book is a valuable tool, providing fresh perspectives and numerous examples of how to be a transformational leader bringing about change in an increasingly diverse world. Be prepared for hard work, perseverance, and an adventurous journey. Transformational leadership is not for the faint of heart.
Download or read book At the Blue Hole written by Jack R. Reese and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-14 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Said plainly, churches are in trouble. All churches are, but certainly Churches of Christ. Whether or not they recognize the threats they are facing is a different matter. The future is fraught with dangers. Many won’t make it.” On New Year’s weekend, 1831–32, two churches came together in Lexington, Kentucky, in what is often known today as the Restoration Movement. Among the churches that emerged from this movement were Churches of Christ, which grew in the nineteenth century and then flourished in the twentieth. At their zenith, around 1990, there were over 13,000 Church of Christ congregations in the United States with nearly 1.3 million members. Especially in the southern states where Churches of Christ were concentrated, it seemed inconceivable that they would ever face their own death. Like many communities of faith, these churches are now in rapid decline. The numbers are devastating. At the current trajectory, Churches of Christ in America, with a membership of just over a million, will be less than a quarter their current size in thirty years. As they awaken to their crisis, many of them are beginning to see themselves at the edge. This book is an elegy for those churches. But it is also a story of hope and promise. As from the “Blue Hole”—the tiny, hidden spring from which flows the San Antonio River, near where Jack Reese ministers—there is still abundant life and grace to be found flowing into Churches of Christ, waiting to be uncovered. Anyone wondering how to stem the seemingly inevitable ebb of the fading Western church will find solace and help in Reese’s account of a once-thriving fellowship of churches that, God willing, may yet emerge from the grave into the light of resurrection.
Download or read book Liturgy on the Edge written by Samuel Wells and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2019-01-17 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using the unique circumstances and opportunities available to historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields at Trafalgar Square in London, renowned vicar Sam Wells and members of the church staff offer insights about the intersections between liturgy and outreach. Exploring questions of both formal and informal engagement with liturgy, prayer book revision, and practical how-tos for acute congregational needs, urban parishes around the world will find inspiration and resources within these pages. Written by the staff and dedicated lay members of the St Martin’s community, the book is an invitation to us all to be more inclusive and compas-sionate when planning worship and other services. Topics of interest include pastoral care for those affected by crime and homelessness, great sacred music, laying-on-of-hands, podcasting/webcasting, and holiday observances that extend love and service to all neighbors across denominations and walks of life.
Download or read book Contemporary Church Architecture written by Edwin Heathcote and published by . This book was released on 2007-06-05 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last decade has seen the emergence of a whole new generation of church designs. Covering buildings across the world, Contemporary Church Architecture aims to appeal not only to architects and clergy involved directly in ecclesiastical architecture but also other practitioners and those with a broader interest in cutting-edge design. This book covers the development of contemporary church design by looking at how the rational and the sacred can be reconciled and can inform one another. It also outlines the main trends and approaches: the conflict between self-expression and expression of the sacred, between sculptural signification and functionalism. Beautifully illustrated with around 350 photographs.
Download or read book Liquid Church written by Tim Lucas and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In today's fluid culture, many churches are adrift--longing to reach spiritually thirsty people, but failing to make an impact. Have you noticed? Congregations are stuck or declining. Millennials and Gen Z are walking away. Volunteers and their generosity are drying up. Is your city, town, or neighborhood spiritually dry? Do you long to see more of the living water of Jesus flowing freely through your community, generating a fresh wave of ministry momentum? Buckle up: you're in for a whitewater ride! Liquid Church tells the fascinating story of a New Jersey church that began "on accident" and grew into one of America's 100 Fastest-Growing Churches, with over 5,000 in weekly attendance and more than 2,400 baptisms to date. Their secret? They harnessed the power of six powerful ministry currents sweeping across North America including: special needs, creative communication, ministry mergers, compassionate cause, radical generosity, and leadership development. With powerful stories and scriptural insights, backed by national research, Tim Lucas and Warren Bird describe dozens of fresh ideas, new ministry wineskins, and hard-won leadership learnings that resonate with rising generations in today's "show-then-tell" culture. Each chapter includes practical tools, real-life examples, and links to "Other Churches Making Waves" with cutting-edge ministry ideas designed to help saturate your city for Christ. Ready to dive deeper? Whether you serve a brand-new church plant, fast-growing congregation, or an aging ministry ready for reinvention, Liquid Church is an inspiring and practical guide for leaders ready to reach their spiritually thirsty neighbors--those who have given up on church, but haven't given up on God.
Download or read book The Out of Bounds Church written by Steve Taylor and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2010-12-21 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What’s Going on Out There?Author Steve Taylor takes trips to the edge of the church envelope and sends us back what he’s finding inside the emerging church around the globe. From the revival of ancient spiritual practices to the rise of multimedia, each of his posts sketches a view of the body of Christ in wild flux. Topics include: birth; pilgrimage; community; creativity; DJing; and leading and following.
Download or read book A Serrated Edge written by Douglas Wilson and published by Canon Press & Book Service. This book was released on 2003 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Satire is a kind of preaching. Satire pervades Scripture. Satire treats the foibles of sinners with a less than perfect tenderness. But, if a Christian employs satire today, he is almost immediately called to account for his "unbiblical" behavior. Yet Scripture shows that the central point of some religious controversies is to give offense. When Christ was confronted with ecclesiastical obstinacy and other forms of arrogance, he showed us a godly pattern for giving offense. In every controversy, godliness and wisdom (or the lack of them) are to be determined by careful appeal to the Scriptures and not to the fact of someone having taken offense. Perhaps they ought to have taken offense, and perhaps someone ought to have endeavored to give it.
Download or read book Living on the Edge written by Chip Ingram and published by Howard Books. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the biblical model for Christianity, Living on the Edge challenges readers to experience Christianity the way God intended and provides an actual profile of a disciple of Jesus Christ that is relational, grace-based, faith-focused, practical, and measureable. A launching pad for a journey toward becoming a Christian who lives like Christ, this book provides questions and resources at the end of each chapter, as well as directions to continue on your journey through an interactive Web site, where the reader will discover clear spiritual pathways and personal coaching to make it over barriers.
Download or read book Who Moved My Church written by Mike Nappa and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2001 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Four unforgettable characters set out to find their church building after it has been physically moved. But how they go about locating it and what they do once they find it is so different, humorous, entertaining, and thought provoking. Ideal for discussion in homes, small groups, Sunday School classes and churches.
Download or read book Fight for Your Pastor written by Peter Orr and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2022-10-31 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical Ways to Support and Care for Your Pastor Do you pray for your pastors? Do you encourage them? Do you have realistic expectations for them? The office of pastor is simultaneously a rewarding and draining position. Pastors today have immense pressure on their shoulders and they need the support of their congregations. Peter Orr has written Fight for Your Pastor as an exhortation for church members to stand behind their pastors through the difficulties of ministry. Orr specifies ways in which congregations can be intentional in caring for church leaders, including prayer, encouragement, generosity, and forgiveness. Featuring stories from current pastors about their struggles, this book is perfect for thoughtful church members eager to understand the weight of their pastors' positions and support leaders in their important ministry. For Thoughtful Christians: Specifically those wanting to know more about their pastors and how to care for them Current: Features insight from pastors about their personal experiences in ministry Applicable: Gives practical examples of how to love and care for pastors, including specific prayers for church leaders and the best ways to encourage them
Download or read book Micropolitan Church written by Jerry Harris and published by CrossBooks Publishing. This book was released on 2011-01 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does your small-town church have a big-time vision for growth and evangelism? Don't be discouraged by the big bucks, big talent, and big facilities of megachurches in America's cosmopolitan areas. In Micropolitan Church: Doing Mega-ministry in America's Small Towns, author Jerry Harris presents proven strategies for outwardly focused, small-town (populations below fifty thousand) church communities to grow exponentially and make differences in thousands of lives. "I love my work at Leadership Network (www.leadnet.org) because of the opportunities I have to meet 100X leaders like Jerry Harris. Guys like Jerry are always thinking about what's next and putting it into practice right now. Micropolitan Church is all about how his church, The Crossing, has introduced what's next' concepts like multi-site to the small towns of America. Read his book and learn how to think micropolitan and make it work in your community." Greg Ligon Innovator, Pastor, and writer. Greg is the co-author or Multi-site Church Revolution and Multi-site Road Trip "In Micropolitan Church, Jerry Harris will strip away the misconceptions and excuses to true discipleship in our communities. His methods will challenge your view of the church, putting it on the attack outside the conventional walls moving people from converts to disciples. Use his team's ideas to implement change in your church without blowing it up. This message could change the direction of the church in America!"
Download or read book The Church Pushed Me Over the Edge written by Ricardo Dorcean and published by . This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
